Assalamualaikum....
During mid-year school holiday recently, me and my husband and our three children traveled to several countries in Europe. Initially, kitaorang plan nak pergi during winter season in December. However, due to December is the most crucial month at work for both of us, kalau nak apply cuti 2 minggu lebih tu memang susahlah nak approve. Lagipun during winter, siangnya sangat pendek so tak dapatlah nak pergi banyak tempat dalam masa sehari. That's why we decided to go in May instead. Season di Europe time ni tengah spring dah nak masuk summer.
28th May 2015
Kita mulakan perjalanan daripada Johor Bahru ke Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) dengan menaiki pesawat MAS pukul 9.05 malam.
29th May 2015
Next, we checked-in at Qatar Airways scheduled at 3.00am (ternampak Terengganu's football player Paolo Rangel nak check-in jugak kat kaunter sebelah. Nak balik Brazil agaknya). Departed on time dan setelah 7 jam+ dalam flight, transit pula di Hamad International Airport Doha (DOH) hampir 3 jam. Custom clearance procedure went smoothly so ada masa lagi dapatlah freshened up sekejap. From Doha, we boarded the Airbus A380 yang serba canggih dan bertaraf 5 bintang. 6 jam+ perjalanan, akhirnya tiba di Charles De Gaulle Airport Paris (CDG) pukul 2.10pm waktu tempatan. Cuaca ketika ini masih spring so belum terlalu panas, sekitar 18 degrees Celcius.
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| 5 star service by Qatar Airways |
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| Kid's meal, boleh ambil terus bawa balik dengan bekas Spongebob tu sekali |
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| Writing tool - complimentary, for the kids |
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| CDG Airport |
Di CDG, kita turun di Terminal 1 so kena naik shuttle train CDGVAL untuk ke Terminal 3. Dari Terminal 3 tu, kena beli tiket untuk naik train RER B untuk pergi ke Gare Du Nord (GDN) train station pula. Plan nak simpan luggage kat locker di GDN supaya senang untuk naik Eurostar kemudian.
From CDG to GDN, we bought one way tickets at the ticket windows. At the same time, we also bought a package of 10 tickets, called a carnet [“car-nay”] which costs 14,10€ for later use. Children from ages 4 to 9 years old can use reduced fare tickets, also available only in books of 10. Tapi I tak beli untuk children sebab 10 tickets for adults is sufficient to cover our family's train rides in Paris for today.
Note :
- Paris is a city that's best enjoyed on foot, so a
carnet of 10 tickets is likely to be your best value unless you have limited mobility, are pressed for time, or are staying a long way from tourist attractions. It can be shared by several people;
- You can buy a
single journey ticket which will take you anywhere within the city of Paris on the Métro and RER networks, and you can transfer between lines or between the Métro and the RER-on the same ticket;
- Apart from that, you can also buy
Paris Visite which allows for unlimited travel in Paris (Metro, RER, bus, tramway, and regional SNCF trains) and the greater Paris region for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days. The pass will also give you discounts at several museums, attractions, and restaurants;
- As for
Mobilis, it is a pass for one calendar day. The price depends on the zones where you intend to travel; if you plan to stay within the city, a Zone 1 pass is all you need.
Next, kena lalu ticket barriers then turun bawah untuk tunggu train.
My advice, do be extra careful with your belongings masa naik train di Paris ni. I felt that we're constantly under the watchful eyes of the locals. Openly tengok kita dari atas ke bawah. Sebelum ni pun dah dengar bermacam-macam cerita kurang baik tentang Paris, so bila dah berada kat sini kita agak berhati-hati. Ini rasanya salah satu sebab kenapa kita tak boleh enjoy Paris to the max...
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| CDG tu yang dilabel Aeroport de Roissy |
At Gare Du Nord, we followed the signs for Accès aux trains Grandes Lignes (Eurostar), then up to the main station concourse. Terpinga-pinga juga nak cari concourse ni sebab it's all written in French. Masa ni ada seorang ticket inspector minta tunjuk tiket untuk inspection. Always bear in mind to keep your ticket until you exit from your station; you may be stopped by a ticket inspector and will have to pay a fine (ranging from €20 to €40) if you are found to be without one. Fuhh!
After asking the ticket inspector for direction (berbual macam ayam dengan itik guna sign language sebab most French kat sini tak tahu cakap English), we found the the Eurostar platform which is located up the stairs/escalators on Level 1 (Niveau 1). But first, we kept our luggage in the locker ('consigne automatique' in French). It is located opposite Platform 3 at the end of the main concourse.
Kena turun bawah...
Once done, we took the same train (via RER B blue towards Cite Universitaire) to St Michel - Notre Dame station. Transfer train to RER C yellow towards Wersailles-Chateau / Saint Quentin. After 4 stops, we get off at Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel. Continue by foot for another 550m towards Eiffel Tower. Rata-rata keadaan kat metro ni agak kotor sikit...
At last!!! Sampai juga kita di Eiffel Tower, a global cultural icon of France and one of the most famous structures in the world... Alhamdulillah, tercapai juga impian untuk menjejakkan kaki ke tempat ni!
The tower is 324 metres tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building. Its base is square, 125 metres on a side. Memandangkan masa tidak mengizinkan, kita lupakan je hasrat untuk naik ke atas Eiffel Tower ni.
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| Ramai juga manusia kat sini |
Selesai bergambar sakan, kita pun naik pula Hop On Hop Off bus dekat bus stop depan Eiffel Tower. Tiket bas ni kita dah beli awal-awal online so hanya perlu tunjuk printout tu pada driver bas tu saja.
Waktu ni dah petang dengan suhu kira-kira dalam 18 darjah Celcius. During the bus ride, we enjoyed the wonderful sights Paris has to offer and the cool breeze on our faces.
Fyi, Big Bus ni akan melalui these famous landmarks in Paris:-
• The Eiffel Tower
• The Arc de Triomphe
• Notre Dame
• L'Hôtel Des Invalides
• Palais Garnier
• Grand Palais
• Louvre and Tuileries Garden
• Place de la Concorde
• La Madeleine
• Trocadéro
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| Place de la Concorde |
Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris. Created in 1755, it was originally named Place Louis XV in honour of the King at that time.
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| Grand Palais |
Externally the Grand Palais building is an ornate mix of Classical and Art-Nouveau stonework, while inside the building is very innovative, using reinforced concrete, iron-work and steel to create the huge barrel-vaulted glass ceiling that floods the building with natural light. This enabled large numbers of people to be gathered inside in the days before electric lighting.
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| L'Hôtel des Invalides |
L'Hôtel des Invalides holds museums relating to France’s military history, but some of the buildings continue to be used as a residence and hospital for war veterans; the building’s original purpose.
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| La Madeleine |
La Madeleine is a Catholic Church dedicated to Mary Magdalene, a religious figure in Christianity. It is located at the end of the Rue Royale with a sight-line to the Place de la Concorde. It was built throughout a time of great social and political upheaval in France, which influenced its unusual design.
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| Musée du Louvre |
The Louvre is the world’s largest and most visited museum. It is famously home to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, but holds thousands of other exhibits and antiquities. Oh how I wish I could take a look inside.... sadly we don't have much time so tengok dari jauh aje la..
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| Triumphal Arch (Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel) at Tuileries |
The Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries) is a large public garden between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde. The garden was created in the 1560’s by Queen Catherine de Médici who was building a new palace next to the Louvre.
Atas ni tak tau di area mana tapi banyak kedai-kedai menarik nampaknya.
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| Notre Dame |
French for ‘Our lady’, Notre Dame is a Catholic Cathedral on the Ile de la Cité; a natural island in the centre of the Seine River. The Cathedral is the official seat of the Archbishop of Paris.
Masa kat Notre Dame ni lah bas ni berhenti agak lama and we lost a great deal of time here.
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| Notre Dame |
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| "Love locks" at the Pont des Arts bridge |
For years, visitors have been attaching locks with sentimental messages to the bridge in symbolic acts of affection. Some further seal the deal by throwing keys into the Seine River below. However, on 1st June 2015 the city of Paris started removing padlocks from the Pont des Arts, effectively ending the tourist tradition of attaching "love locks" to the bridge. Terpaksa la ke N Seoul Tower di Korea sekali lagi untuk pasang lock ni hehehe!
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| Opéra de Paris |
The Palais Garnier is the main opera house in Paris and is home to the Academy of Music and rightly regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time.
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| Printemps |
Boulevard Haussmann, is one of the wide tree-lined boulevards created in Paris by Napoleon III, under the direction of his Prefect of the Seine, Baron Haussmann. The department stores Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps are sited on this street. Sayang tak sempat berhenti shopping huhuhu!
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| Galeries Lafayette Haussman |
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| Avenue des Champs-Élysées |
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a boulevard which runs between the Place de la Concorde and the Place Charles de Gaulle, where the Arc de Triomphe is located. It is famous for its theatres, cafés and luxury shops, and for the military parade that takes place each year on the avenue on 14 July to celebrate Bastille Day.
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| Arc de Triomphe |
The Arc de Triomphe is a huge monument on the Place Charles de Gaulle at the end of the Champs-Elysees. The arch honours and commemorates the French soldiers who fought and died in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The Arc de Triomphe is 45m wide and 50m tall. It is one of Paris’ most inspiring landmarks
It takes approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes to complete a full circuit of the tour if you stay on the bus at all time. Last stop at Trocadéro, opposite Eiffel tower on the other side of the Seine River.
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| Trocadéro |
The Trocadéro is a popular tourist area on the northern bank of the Seine. It is built on a hill opposite the Eiffel Tower and provides excellent views over the city. Visitors flock here to take photographs and to watch street entertainers on the open concourse. Tak sah kalau ke Eiffel Tower bila tak ambil gambar di Trocadéro ni taw!
And here all the drama started...
Due to heavy traffic, we reached Trocadéro nearly 8.00pm and our Eurostar departure time at 8.40pm. Which means we have to check-in at 8.10pm!!! Tapi kita masih kat sini lagiiiii!! Tadi masa kat Champs-Élysées plan nak turun tapi tak jadi sebab takut lambat nak cari metro station lagi. Last-last stucked kat traffic.
Apalagi, sampai di Trocadéro kami terus turun bas, kemudian berlari macam kena kejar hantu turun bukit merentasi Seine River sampai ke Eiffel Tower dan terus ke train station yang mula-mula tadi. Jaraknya ada lah dalam 1.5km. Bayangkan? So bila naik train terasa penatnya macam dah nak mati, mana dengan jet-lag lagi... Kesian anak I yang 7 tahun tu, pucat lesi mukanya kepenatan. Hajat nak berposing sakan kat Trocadéro pun tak kesampaian. Hanya sempat snap satu gambar yang atas tu je, itu pun ambil sambil berlari kikiki!
Tiba di GDN (itu pun sesat sekejap sebab everything in French-confusing!) saya dan suami berpecah - he went to collect the luggage with my eldest daughter. I terus pergi ke Eurostar platform untuk tanya whether kita still sempat tak lagi naik Eurostar ni. Gila kalau terlepas, kena bayar certain fee plus any fare difference, sama macam beli baru tu. Takkan burn lagi sekali tiket ni kot!
Bila tanya officer yang jaga kat situ dia kata sempat dan dia suruh isi form dulu. Masa tu I macam dah tak boleh nak bercakap sebab terlalu penat dan panik. Rupa tulisan kat form tu pun dah macam budak tadika sebab tangan menggigil!
At last En Husband pun tiba dengan luggage dan kita pun masuk untuk get through ticket barrier and then custom procedures. Tiba di departure gate tepat 8.40pm tapi ada tali pula kat situ. I dah tak sedap hati. I pun pergi tanya kat kaunter berdekatan kat mana gate ni. Dengan selambanya staff kat situ cakap " You missed the train". Gulp!
I dah blank sekejap tengok muka husband I. Kena overnight in Paris ke kita ni? Luckily, staff tu continued. Katanya "We'll put you on the next train, the 9.10pm train". Fuhh lega! Tak kena bayar any penalty pun Alhamdulillah! And fyi, that was the last train for the day....
Tapi..... bila kitaorang check balik 5 tickets tu at different seats, jauh-jauh pulak dengan one another. Cuma dua seats je yang dekat so I put my two youngest at these seats. Tapi tak kan nak biarkan diorang yang kecik ni berdua je. So nak taknak, I tebalkan muka tanya this one guy whether he's travelling alone. Looking at my situation, he immediately agrees to switch places. " Glad to help" he said. Oh my God, I'm forever grateful to this guy!
The journey took around 2.5 hours tapi terasa sekejap je sebab semua dah kepenatan terus tidur macam pengsan. Sedar-sedar dah nak sampai. We arrived at St Pancras International station at 10.40pm London time (lambat sejam dari France, beza 7 jam dari Malaysia) and proceed to King's Cross Station. By the way, I've purchased Oyster Visitor card online, a quick and easy way to pay for travel on public transport in London.
We changed train at Oxford Circus to Central Line towards Lancaster Gate. Check-in at Corus Hyde Park hotel and I should say that this hotel located at a very strategic location and I loved it!
Corus Hyde Park is a 4 star hotel, overlooking Kensington Park Gardens and Park Lane. Close to everything that the West End of London has to offer, from shopping in Oxford Street, Bond Street, Knightsbridge and Notting Hills, to museums and art galleries in South Kensington and world famous visitor destinations such as Buckingham Palace, Leicester Square and the City of Westminster.
The hotels are owned by London Vista Hotel Limited, which is part of Malayan United Industries. No wonder lah ada bendera Malaysia kat atas tu.
So that's it. What an eventful day!
Btw, went through all these and and 31 hours later, we're still in the same day since we started our journey from KLIA as it's not yet midnight here in London....
4 countries in one day - woke up in KL, breakfast in Doha, lunch in Paris, dinner in London....How cool was that?! :)
